A writ of attachment shall be issued on the request of a plaintiff any time after a summons and a complaint is filed but before final judgment. It shall be directed to the sheriff or constable of a county in which property of the defendant is supposed to be, and shall require him to attach all the property of the defendant within his county or so much thereof as may be sufficient to satisfy the plaintiff’s demand, together with costs and expenses. It shall be in the name of the court and be sealed with its seal and signed by its judge.

Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 21-17A-2

  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
  • Seal: includes an impression of the seal upon the paper alone, as well as upon wax or a wafer affixed to the paper, and also the word "seal" written or printed on such paper. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.

Source: SL 1983, ch 168, § 2.

  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 17A Contents